


Comfort

by CocaKuya



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Aoi Asahina mention, Comfort, Comfort Objects, Future Foundation (Dangan Ronpa), Kyoko Kirigiri mention, M/M, Makoto Naegi needs a hug, Naegami, Post-Killing School Life (Dangan Ronpa), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Survivor Guilt, Togami Byakuya is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocaKuya/pseuds/CocaKuya
Summary: TW for PTSD and Survivor's GuiltAfter finally escaping Hope's Peak, Makoto carried the weight of his dead friends with him into the hopeful future he wanted to help build. Though with that came night terrors as his brain refused to forget the graphic environment he endured. He's used to battling it on his own, but one night he finds himself at the door of an unlikely source of comfort.
Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 10
Kudos: 83





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Haha hey, this is my first ever finished and uploaded fic woo. Anyways, although this fic's main conflict is Makoto's trauma, the work itself revolves mainly around the idea that both Makoto and Byakuya keep comfort objects and show each other validity over them.

When Makoto first walked through the metal doors keeping him imprisoned at Hope’s Peak, his first emotions were very mixed. A little bit of excitement, a lot of fear for what’s ahead, but most importantly he felt hopeful in their futures. The hope only grew stronger when they were brought in and recruited by The Future Foundation. Working together with other survivors of the tragedy to better the future of humanity gave Makoto purpose. It felt even better when he worked alongside his former classmates, they were all put on the same branch and the hope grew and grew. During the daytime, Makoto was always occupied by work. Helping develop new plans, finalizing ideas, preparing orders to give to his coworkers, it all kept him quite busy. Though at nights when everyone retreated to the dorms provided by the foundation, Makoto always found himself thinking.

Some nights it was thinking about how great the future can be, some nights he’s grateful for the present, yet other nights he would get caught up on the horrors of the past. From the moment the tragedy began, the beginning of the killing game, watching his friends die and sentencing more to death, it all haunted him. So much so, he would enter panic attacks that would leave him restless, helpless, and hopeless. Even the next morning, some of his coworkers would notice his change in behavior or even a sickly appearance. Kyoko was often the first to catch it, and eventually she did figure out what he was struggling with. Though she didn't exactly have the same issues, her previous line of work shaped her as such so Makoto never faulted her over it. He never really brought it up directly to anyone else, until something drove him to talk to someone one night.

His body was shivering violently despite three layers of blankets covering him. Tears were building up in his eyes, his breathing hitching, but for some reason he couldn't shed them. Makoto wrapped his arms around himself and tried to close his eyes to fall asleep, as if the world worked like a cartoon. When it inevitably failed, something inside of him snapped, and he couldn't take it anymore.

“I need to talk to someone.. I don't want to be alone with this anymore..” 

He threw the blankets off of him and gave another shiver as the cool air in his room hit his body. He began to quicken his pace towards the door until a bag on a shelf caught his eye. Usually the things in his room are insignificant unless he is bored, but he always found himself eyeing that same bag when he was an emotional wreck. Just like every other time he was like this, he approached the bag and practically ripped the zipper open to reveal a brown plush dog with button eyes. As quickly as he opened the bag, he took the plush into his arms and held it tight to his chest, choking out a few sobs into the matted fuzz. He stood there for a few moments, the room filled with only the noises of his sniffling, before he remembered his plan and walked back to the door leading out to the hall. 

He opened the door with the plush still in hand, and timidly stepped out into the well-lit hallway, scanning the doors of Branch 14. His eyes immediately went to Kyoko’s door before realizing that she wouldn't be the best for this situation, as much as he appreciated her. Then his eyes wandered to another door, a less expected door.. Byakuya's. Before Makoto could even think about the potential interaction regarding his issues, his feet briskly made their way closer and closer to the former heir’s room.  _ Am I actually going to bother Togami at these hours? Am I insane??  _ As if to answer his own question, Makoto shakily knocked on the wood door separating him from whatever he just got himself into. His mind was still surrounded by a dark cloud of thoughts, but his heart was racing over a completely different matter. 

In his stillness he found himself still shivering violently, and his mind began to grasp the situation a bit more.  _ Oh my god what am I doing? Byakuya is going to be pissed at me for bothering him with this of all things.. This was a mistake, I should’ve gone to Hina instead.  _ Makoto hugged his plush tighter and spun on his heel ready to run away from the situation he triggered. Before he could even lift his feet, he heard the door handle click and he turned back to see the blonde looking down at him with a tired scowl that quickly turned to worry when Byakuya saw his state. 

“Makoto?? What are you doing awake? Actually you know what, that clearly doesn't matter right now, come in.”

Byakuya opened the door and stepped back allowing Makoto to quickly walk inside. He then wrapped his arm around Makoto’s back which brought some comfort on him for some reason as Byakuya led him to his bed. 

“Go ahead and sit and relax, I’ll be right back with some tea so you can tell me what's bothering you.”

The warmth from Byakuya's arm on Makoto’s upper back was replaced by the cool air as He slipped into his kitchen area. Makoto's body kept shivering and he knew he had to distract himself before he burst into tears, so his eyes began to wander around the room. He’s never been inside Byakuya's room before, and although it was the same size and furniture as Makoto’s, it somehow felt so much more  _ Byakuya _ . Some items placed around the room were different from Makoto’s, but that was mainly due to Future Foundation recovering many of the students’ possessions left at Hope’s Peak, some of which being items Junko stored away to keep them from stumbling on more evidence of their erased memories. Makoto hugged his plush tighter as he remembered the day it was handed to him in a bag filled with other things kept away from him for god knows how long. Despite Future Foundation figuring out how to return the students’ memories and pursuing such, they never could quite get their hands on the time period where Junko began taking everything away from them for her sick game. The thought made Makoto’s eyes tear up even further, but before he could dwell on it, Byakuya's footsteps could be heard as he appeared at the doorway holding a tray with a kettle and some cups. He set the tray down on his nightstand before sitting down next to Makoto, and he handed him his cup of tea before grabbing the other for himself. 

“Makoto, please tell me what's got you like this.” He paused as he seemingly tried to gather his words. “I’m.. I’m here to listen and help to the best of my current ability.” 

Back in Hope’s Peak, these words would have never been heard as genuine from Togami’s lips. Makoto’s mind was swelling around things from the past, yet this made him think about more recent things. Such as how Makoto has gotten much closer to Byakuya since they escaped Hope’s Peak together, often sitting with him for lunch and trying his best to make sure the former heir was adjusting well. Yet despite that, the tone in his voice right now was much softer than usual, more comforting. Something Makoto never would've expected from him, so then why did he choose to come to him? 

“Makoto?” Byakuya's voice snapped Makoto back to the situation. 

“Uh.. This may be a long shot but, ...do you ever feel like your mind was shot back to the killing game back at Hope’s Peak?” Makoto stopped and looked at Byakuya, hoping he didn’t sound insane.

Byakuya;s expression never twisted to confusion, and he nodded slowly after a few seconds of allowing the words to properly sink in. With slight relief, Makoto continued.

“Everything we had to witness first hand, all in the same detail as if it were those exact same moments..” He paused again to shiver at his own words as he choked out more tears. He felt his throat drying up over the tears so he sipped his tea before continuing.

“There was so much I could've done.. so many lives I could've saved if I just tried harder, if I stopped pretending things would just fix themself, if I just wasn't so damn naive!” He set his cup down before hiding his face into his plush to choke out some more sobs.

“They're all dead and it’s my fault! I can't sleep at night without their corpses haunting my thoughts..”

He struggled to speak through his shaky sobs, but he was silenced by Byakuya's arm again, this time wrapping around Makoto fully and pulling him close to the blonde. Makoto’s breath hitched as he felt his body against Byakuya's, though the warmth now surrounding his body made his heart crave more, and before he knew it he dropped his plush in favor of holding the blonde close. The comfort caused the dam to break, and all his tears began to audibly pour out onto Byakuya’s pajama shirt. He couldn't stop, and for a few minutes he didn't. It wasn't until Byakuya lifted him onto his lap when Makoto calmed down a little, now noticing Byakuya was also rubbing his back. 

“Makoto..” Byakuya began to speak without his usual confidence as his other hand soothingly yet hesitantly combed Makoto’s hair with his fingers. “I-I know it's extremely difficult to look back on those.. memories.. without convincing yourself things could have been different..” The former heir’s voice was again much softer than his usual tone, but Makoto also noticed a hint of sorrow hidden in his vocals. 

Byakuya’s breathing felt uneasy on Makoto’s face and the brunette could tell that being comforting was not the easiest task for the heir. “Though, during those moments you did so much to try and save everyone. You conquered all the obstacles thrown at you, even the unnecessary ones..” Byakuya paused, and Makoto felt him take another shaky breath. “You’re the main reason we’re here today, Makoto. Sure, in any situation things could have been different. That's true with everything, but with what we have, you’ve done so many positive things for everyone.” 

The words struck him in the heart, and he briefly tore his face from Byakuya’s chest to look up at the source of them. Instead of those cold, icy, blue eyes he was used to seeing, he instead found those eyes closed with tears silently leaking through as the blonde let out a long exhale. “Byakuya…” it was all he could say before holding him tighter and placing his cheek back on his chest to continue crying. After about a minute, Makoto felt Byakuya lean forward a bit and rest his chin on top of his head, and the only sounds in the room were Makoto’s tears as they lost their previous silence. 

They cried together for a few minutes before the tears and choking sobs finally calmed down, then they were silent in their embrace. Makoto tried to clear his dry throat to no success, so Byakuya briefly let him go to grab his tea in assistance. Makoto let out a raspy thanks before drinking until the cup was empty, then he set it down and picked up his plush to hold again.

“Was that given to you along with the stuff hidden from us as Hope’s Peak?” Byakuya asked as he attempted to dry his eyes with his now freed arm. 

“Hah, yeah… It’s a plush I’ve had since I was a kid, it always really helped me when I was in stressful and scary situations.. it's embarrassing, I’m sorry-” Makoto tried to set it aside as if proving he didn't need it, but it was quickly set back in his arms from Byakuya who wore a rare, genuine smile as he stood up. 

“Hm, It’s not embarrassing, having something that gives you comfort shouldn't be seen as such.” Makoto was left somewhat stunned as Byakuya walked over to a bag set on a shelf.  _ Huh, that was oddly confident reassurance, but why?  _

As Makoto sat processing what just happened, Byakuya pulled out a plaid dark blue blanket folded in the bag. He unraveled it and wrapped it around his neck, and took a second to bury his nose into the fabric. After a few seconds, Byakuya turned to walk back and sat down next to Makoto with the blanket still wrapped around him. He nervously fidgeted a bit as he seemed to be trying to find the right words to say. 

“Hm..” He began while twirling the corner of the blanket in his fingers. “Much like you with your plush, I’ve had this since I was much younger..” Makoto briefly averted his attention from Byakuya and instead looked upon the blanket. It did seem quite old, and honestly out of place among the rather high-class items in Byakuya's possession. 

He looked back up and found the ex-heir resting his cheek into the worn fabric. “This has been with me and helped calm me down during some of the roughest obstacles I’ve faced, well.. besides the killing game due to Enoshima’s desire to rid it from me..” 

The words made them both silently hold their comfort objects closer. “I didn’t think my reunion with it would be as emotional as it was.. With my memory wiped, I never would have considered me to be so invested in a blanket of all things.” Makoto noticed him looking down at the floor in thought, something was urging Makoto to try and comfort him from whatever thoughts are plaguing him at the moment. So steadily, Makoto scooted closer to Byakuya until his waist met his, and then he wrapped his arms around the blonde’s chest to hug him close. He felt him shiver at the sudden comforting embrace, but Byakuya didn't pull away, or even seem to hold any discomfort. After a few moments, he turned away from the floor he was staring at, and wrapped the blanket around them both. Makoto felt the fabric on his shoulder, and he reached his hand to gently tug it closer. 

The comfort he was feeling was much better than anything he would have done by himself like most nights starting similar to this one. Though was this comfort from Byakuya, someone that nobody, not even Makoto, would have guessed to be of any emotional help. Yet here they both are, besides each other after a rather emotional night, grasping onto the objects of comfort from their pasts, as well as each other. If Makoto was being honest with himself, he found Byakuya’s company tonight something he wishes he could get more often. After seeing the blonde turn a lot softer tonight, he wondered if Byakuya felt anything similar. He felt his chest warm up at the thought, and without thinking, Makoto gently leaned his head on Byakuya’s shoulder. 

After realizing what he committed to, his chest swelled with anxiety at the leap of contact, though it was quickly reassured when Byakuya rested his head on top of Makoto’s in return. With a sigh of content, Makoto nuzzled into his shirt before he briefly opened his eyes to find himself staring at a clock. 

“Oh shoot!” Makoto quickly but gently lifted his head and stood up from the bed. “It’s 2:30 in the morning! Byakuya, I’m so sorry for keeping you awa-” His words were hushed with Byakuya’s finger as the blonde reached up. “Makoto please, do not worry about that now. If anything I’m..” Byakuya averted his gaze as blush dusted his porcelain cheeks. "I’m honored you came to me.. I don’t like seeing you this upset.” 

No words could even begin to form on Makoto’s lips, so instead he wrapped his arm around the other’s chest and pulled himself into a close hug. Byakuya found himself patting Makoto’s back again before he spoke up. “If it may help you, you can stay the night with me. The company seemed to have helped calm you down, at least..” Makoto pulled away from the embrace to look at Byakuya’s face, as if expecting it to be cast aside as a joke, but he saw the sincerity in those blue eyes. 

“Please.. That would be nice.. I honestly feel so much better just being around you, if that makes any sense, heh-” Makoto felt his cheeks flush in his nervousness, but Byakuya responded by holding out his hand. “Then perhaps we should get some rest, tomorrow is Saturday, so we have the privilege of sleeping in."

Makoto took his hand and was gently pulled back into the bed where Byakuya covered them both with the duvet on his bed and his plaid blanket. Makoto wiggled himself into comfort as Byakuya set aside his glasses on the nightstand and turned off the light. Makoto felt around until he found his plush to hold it close for the night, though with Byakuya there with him, his desire to hold the plus faded. Makoto instead opted for wrapping his arms around the former heir who was now facing the former lucky student. Makoto felt Byakuya’s steady heartbeat in their embrace, which held the new feeling that everything was perfect in each other's company such as this. 

“Thank you for being there for me tonight, Byakuya.. I didn’t know how much I needed someone like this.” Makoto heard a hum of satisfaction from the blonde as he closed his eyes. Before he could drift off to sleep, Byakuya broke the short silence. “Makoto, can you promise me one thing?” Makoto slightly opened one eye at the question. “Hm?” 

“Promise me you’ll never face this alone again, and instead you can seek comfort in me, if I provided it well enough tonight..” Makoto gave a low chuckle as he buried his face into Byakuya’s shirt, taking in the scent. “I promise.. thank you, Byakuya.” With those words and another hum of satisfaction from the blonde, they both drifted off into the most peaceful sleep they’ve probably had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thanks for reading my first uploaded work! If you want me to continue it with another chapter where they officially grow closer into a relationship, comment to show interest! But other than that, I have many projects in the works so hopefully this isn't the first time you'll see me. Thanks again for sticking around!  
> (Also apologies if my formatting is off, I've never had to do it before so criticism is welcome!)
> 
> Kudos and Comments much appreciated ^^


End file.
